The Art of Reformation
by em-tinuviel
Summary: Lucius Malfoy is making a glorious return to society. He needs to reclaim his social standing in post-war Wizarding Britain, and he has a plan.
1. Chapter 1

Lucius held the parchment in his hand, ignoring the owl that delivered it only moments ago. His house arrest was finally finished, after 3 long years confined to his lonely manor. It had been 5 years since the war ended, and since then he had barely seen the light of day. Despite his claims that he switched sides by the end, he was thrown in Azkaban by the newly restored ministry during their roundup of Death Eaters.

His wife died of what had been reported as stress related illness not long afterwards, but he had a feeling foul play was involved. There were many Death Eaters evading captivity who were seeking revenge on him for what they saw as treachery. He had since dealt with the grief. He cared for her, but he was never really sure he was in love with her.

It tore him up in prison because he had nothing else to cling to. Since his release he was able to put his emotions back in order and move on. They released him from prison after 2 years, partly because of good behavior (he would never stoop to the level of the other imbeciles in that dump) and partly because veritaserum induced confessions revealed he had very little involvement in the final war.

He was placed under house arrest following his release from the jail for an undisclosed amount of time. Any contact he made with the outside world was monitored, and visits were limited to immediate family. Draco came regularly for the first year, but he tired of it and hadn't been heard from since. Most of his contact was with the ministry, wanting updates on his health and wellbeing. It had been the same boring interactions every week, and it was driving him mad. He wanted to get back into the business world, rekindle his many connections in society, and rebuild his reputation. He had a lot of time to kill coming up with plans; all he needed to do was wait.

Finally his day had come.

The letter was not brief in any way. It outlined their reasons for ending the house arrest (no evidence of criminal activity since convicted, good behavior, wasting resources on a potential contributing member of society). It also described the measures the Ministry was taking to currently ensure harmony within the wizarding world.

However, the largest chunk of the letter was describing his continued probation. He assumed most of it anyways, since they never would leave him alone completely. There was the required contribution to the wizarding community. That was easy enough, since he was going to do that anyways.

He was also required to participate in a new program called "Muggles and You: Tolerance and Integration". That would be trying, but supposed it was important to feign interest with the new direction society was taking. He was to report to the ministry once a week for an evaluation on his activities. It all fit in perfectly with his plans. Now all he needed to do was choose which specific plan he was going to put into action.

He needed to spend time weighing out his options, but for now he really just needed to get out of the house. He walked to his front door slowly, savoring each step towards freedom.

Normally he would have apparated out, but he really didn't know where he was going. As he got to the front door, he had a brief moment of panic. What if it still didn't let him out? Maybe the spell hadn't been deactivated yet, and this would set off an alarm. He stood, staring at the door, willing the alarm to be off. He reached for the door handle and prepared himself.

He pulled the old door open, and it creaked from lack of use. A rush of cool winter air filled the entrance hall, as light poured in. It was a moving moment, and the crisp air was truly refreshing. It was February, so the air was starting to warm up. A fresh layer of snow covered his yard, glittering as he stepped into the sunlight.

He was free! Now, where would he go? As always he was dressed to impress, so his options were limitless. He decided to try Diagon Alley. Where better to make his first public appearance? He could pop into Flourish and Blotts, buy a few books that would make him look like he was renouncing his old ways… maybe a few about muggle relations or some similar drivel. Perhaps he would even make polite small talk with other shoppers. Whatever plan he went with, making them think he was changing his attitude was the first big step.

He appeared in the middle of the street, smirking at the frightened expressions of those who witnessed his arrival. Being dramatic gave him such satisfaction.

He strolled to the bookstore and spent a few minutes browsing the books obviously commissioned by the Ministry to promote positive opinions of muggles. He chose the biggest one he could find, along with some books he actually wanted to read, and proceeded to the counter.

The shop owner was familiar with the types of books Lucius commonly bought before the war, so his surprise when he saw today's purchase was not uncalled for. Lucius flashed an award-winning smile and thanked him for his help. He had certainly accomplished his goal of having all eyes on him as he walked down the street.

He decided to go have some lunch before he went back home to continue plotting his return to society.

Every restaurant and café he passed was completely full. There were lines outside waiting to get in, which rarely happened at this time of day. He was so determined to eat lunch somewhere other than his Manor for once that he resorted to wandering the streets of muggle London.

If he looked confused, disgusted and out of place no one seemed to notice. Everyone was in a massive rush, and once again every café he found was completely full. He noticed all the tables were taken up by couples. There were very few seats that could service larger parties, and that was a bit strange.

He realized at this point that even if he found a table, he had no muggle money.

He walked back to the Leaky Cauldron and sat down for a drink.

"Mr. Malfoy, fancy seein' you here!" Tom the barman poured him a firewhiskey. "Just let out of your house recently?"

"Yes, today actually. " He tried to keep interactions with this sort to a minimum, but it was necessary to establish his façade.

"Congratulations! I guess that would explain why you aren't out on a date of any kind this evening."

A date? What on earth was this man talking about? Had he not heard his wife was dead?

"What on earth are you talking about?" He expressed his confusion.

"St. Valentines day of course! Didn't you notice how busy everything is? It's the big day of romance and consumerism." Tom smiled at the happy couples at tables in far corners of the bar.

"Oh well that explains quite a bit actually. Thank you, but I'd better be off. Lots of business to see to." He paid the man and got out of there quickly, apparating back to the Manor.

Valentines day. It ruined his lunch plans, but it had given him an idea. The perfect way to convince the Ministry that he was a changed man.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's new job at the ministry was going well. She had taken a year off to travel after her split from Ron, because she couldn't stand the trouble Molly had been giving her over it. She quit her internship to take the trip, so it was nice of them to give her a full time position when she came back.

Being a war hero had its perks.

Her position now was in Muggle Relations Promotions. It was a post-war creation, and was far more popular than previous muggle related departments. She was in charge of making sure the information being given to wizards about muggles was correct and helpful.

She was also supposed to be called in to mediate cases that involved mistreatment of muggleborn and half-blood wizards within the community. It wasn't something she ever thought about doing, but she excelled at it, as predicted by everyone involved.

A few weeks ago she edited several books promoting muggle relations to be sold worldwide. They had just hit shelves this week.

So far the books had been doing well. You couldn't expect to change centuries' worth of pureblood opinions in one shot, but they were getting somewhere. Many families having trouble dealing with their children marrying anyone but a pureblood were given the books as gifts. She heard a few incidences where they saved relationships.

It was good to be helping someone, especially since she knew all about muggle intolerance from her own experience. Draco Malfoy was the king of pureblood elitism. Actually, he was the prince. Malfoy Sr. was certainly the king.

However, she heard he was calming down since the death of his wife, probably because he was locked up indefinitely. She saw no problem with that situation. Draco hadn't been heard from in months, since he ran off with some girl who was a year behind them in Hogwarts.

This particular day happened to be Valentines Day. It was a hard time for her, because she hadn't done any dating since Ron. It was still too fresh a wound.

At least Harry promised to sit with her during their lunch break, so she got some positive social interaction to pull her out of the gloom. He and Ginny were apparating to Paris for dinner that evening, and he was planning to pop the question. It was completely cliché.

She would have to take up the age-old pastime for single people on Valentines – watching sappy movies and eating ice cream.

She was working on two pamphlets at the moment, and they were proving to be more time consuming than she expected. The first was a brochure highlighting the must-see aspects of muggle society. The tricky part was choosing things that would interest all wizards, not just her.

The second was a pocket guide to obtaining and using muggle money. Wizards seemed to forget their currency was strange and meaningless to all but them. This was a big job, and would probably take her weeks just to revise it once it was finished.

The morning went by quickly and she found herself rushing out of her office to meet Harry for lunch. The elevator was packed on her way down, and the chatter was earsplitting.

As people started to leave, she picked up on a very interesting conversation between two men in the back of the lift.

"Yes you heard me right, he was just released a few hours ago. I signed the papers myself. The minister and his probation committee deemed him ready to be integrated back into society." The one man was whispering to the other in a tone that suggested the second man was an idiot for not believing his first hand account.

"Well that is all very shocking, I thought they would never let him go! But that was not the really interesting part, which I was getting to before you interrupted me…" The accused simply sniffed. "As I was saying, the interesting part was what he did once he emerged for the first time!" Hermoine recognized the second man. He was an editor for the big publishing company that backed most of the wizarding bookstores in Britain. She worked with him via owl on the Muggle Integration books.

"I heard news less than an hour ago that he popped up in Diagon Alley and went into Flourish and Blotts. What do you think he bought there? Why if it wasn't one of the biggest books on muggles we just had shipped out! What on earth would he be doing with that?" The editor was practically jumping with excitement.

"I suppose it was part of his probation, although I don't remember seeing that in the papers. Well, it's strange I'll give you that."

Hermione wanted to know whom they were talking about. She had a hunch, but it was an unlikely one.

"Excuse me, but who is it you're talking about? Not that I mean to eavesdrop…"

"Oh Miss Granger I was sure you heard! The old snake himself, Lucius Malfoy!"

Suspicions confirmed.

Hermione continued out of the lift and down the hall towards one of the employee dining rooms. Everything was decorated elaborately for Valentines Day to the point that she found it sickening. She spotted Harry at a table over by the wall.

"Oh there you are! I thought you would end up missing lunch because of how busy everything is this week." He was happy to see her.

"No I really needed a break anyways. So are you excited about your evening plans?" She laughed.

"Yes, but I'm also pretty terrified. It's a big step Mione! I mean, obviously I want to marry her, but I want this to be perfect."

"Well it's not like she's going to say no, Harry, so you can calm down. Everything will be wonderful!"

"How about you, any big plans for tonight?" Harry looked at her hopefully. He and Ginny had been trying hard to get her dating again, but it wasn't working. She was being stubborn.

"Not unless you count my sofa." She laughed, but he really didn't find it that funny.

"You're sure everything is ok? We don't want you pouring yourself into this job just to shut out the world. You really need to get back out there." He had a whole speech for her. Ginny helped him plan it that morning. Hermione could tell.

"Just save the routine Harry. I haven't found anyone special yet. It wont help much trying to force love."

She tried convincing herself she just had high standards. It was bad enough that Valentines Day was a giant reminder of her loneliness; she didn't need to be constantly pestered on top of that.

Maybe they were right. She needed to at least start getting out more. If she tried to meet new people, in a friendly way, maybe it would open up some dating opportunities. She would never tell Harry he was right though. What did she even want in a man? Someone completely different from Ron: someone intelligent, who actually read books, and could understand her cultural interests. Someone a bit more mature.

A girl could dream couldn't she?

"Make sure to owl me once she says yes ok? I want to be the first to congratulate my newly engaged best friends!" She was genuinely happy for them, ecstatic even, but she couldn't help feeling a tiny bit sorry for herself.

"Of course I will! You're certain she will say yes then?"

"Harry!" She had to laugh at how nervous he was.

Back in her office, she was finding it increasingly difficult to work. Nothing was more dull than trying to describe credit cards to people who didn't understand technology. There needed to be a lot of diagrams. It was an important project to be sure, after all, wizards stood out enough in muggle society by not understanding the clothes.

She floo'd home that evening hoping to order some pizza from the shop down the street.

Her flat was in muggle London, not far from the Leaky Cauldron. She wanted to be a part of both worlds, and it was easier for her parents to come visit her here.

She pulled out the sappiest movie she owned, went to get her pizza, and threw on her pajamas.

This definitely needed to change soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucius sat in his library, filing through every daily prophet from the past 5 years. He needed information to structure his plan around.

He wanted to appear a genuinely changed man, someone the Ministry could trust again.

Of course, before this whole fiasco they feared more than trusted, so any trust would be an improvement. He was looking for any articles detailing or hinting at things the Ministry expected from citizens. Most of it had to do with muggles, so he would probably have to read that bloody book.

He came up with an extensive list of small things he could do to increase his likability among other wizards. Being polite, showing up at events, donating, all of it was important.

He would have to transition into it slowly, spending more time in public places just doing his work, maybe meeting with respectable members of society. He looked down at the pile of articles he cut out of the paper, and began writing down the key points. He decided to visit the ministry the next day and spend time observing the personality traits of those he was trying to fit in with.

He could pretend he was going to meet with the minister to thank him for letting him off of house arrest.

He dressed in his usual overly formal attire as he made his way to the Ministry that morning. He smiled at the woman working at the front desk on his way up to the Minister's office. It was the small signals that were important. She looked appropriately shocked.

"Ah Lucius, I was hoping you would be coming by sometime soon. How is freedom treating you so far?"Shacklebolt greeted him.

He wasn't actually free, but he wasn't going to bring that up.

"Well, Minister, very well. Thank you again, very much." Buttering him up slowly.

"I heard something interesting yesterday Lucius. You took a trip into Diagon Alley and stopped at the book store?" It was a rumor circulating through the offices, but Kingsley also knew because he had a tracking spell set on him.

"Yes I decided to take a look at what literature was like these days. I actually picked up a very interesting book on muggle relations, written by some of your own I assume?" That was the kicker. He could see the shock across Shacklebolt's face.

"Well, we have a department that checks over those things before they publish. I'm glad to see you are interested, Lucius."

"Indeed, I am ready to start making some big steps towards changing my ways. Speaking of my old ways, I was hoping to start back into some of my event planning if you needed my assistance. I've always had a knack for social gatherings and I feel like I need to get back in with the community." This was his biggest step. Maybe he brought it up too fast, but he really needed to rebuild his reputation at the top of the social ladder.

"Well actually, now that you bring it up, we have been trying to organize some events to showcase various aspects of muggle culture… you know, art and the like. I can put you in contact with our muggle education department and you can start to set something up if you wish. We can even have it count as the tolerance and education portion of your probation."

He thought about it. This was combining two crucial elements in his plan. All he needed to do was pretend to care about muggles enough to fool this education department, and with his charm he was sure that was a task he could handle.

If they were anything like the other Ministry departments, he would hardly need to lift a finger.

"Of course. It sounds like something I would be very interested in learning more about. I can offer the Manor as a venue if you would like." He needed to get back into the social scene, throwing extravagant parties the way he used to. He wanted to show them he had been down, but he certainly wasn't out.

They were making it all much too easy, practically spoon feeding him power. Lucius couldn't help but smile as the Minister led him down the hall towards the lift.

* * *

Hermione got up the next morning feeling very unwilling to leave her bed. It felt like a hangover, but she hadn't been drinking the night before. She wasn't even awake that late.

Ginny and Harry sent her an owl around 11 to inform her of their engagement, as she requested, but she only stuck her head in the fireplace to congratulate them for a few minutes. As happy as she was for them, she became increasingly unhappy for herself.

It was a hangover of despair.

She prepared to make her usual bare-minimum effort to look good that morning, but something changed her mind. She had been looking like a sad old maid for weeks on end, and maybe a change would boost her confidence a bit. She decided to wear some of her nicer work clothes, and fix herself up a bit more than usual.

Looking in the mirror, she already felt ten times better. She headed in to start her endless pamphlet making.

A note arrived from the Minister not long after she started. He rarely had anything important for her to do, but she was always willing for a change. This note said he was sending down someone to help her plan the events they had been talking about.

Of course, 'they' actually meant 'she', since no one had even seemed interested in her art show idea at the time. She was glad they were finally taking her contributions seriously. She pulled out the little portfolio she had put together when she presented the idea, and started going over it.

Work might actually be fun for once.

There was a knock on her door not long after the note arrived.

"Come in!" She called as she continued readying her notes. The door opened wide as her new partner in this undertaking stepped in.

"Good morning. Lucius Malfoy, I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm here by request of the Minister to…" He stopped mid-sentance.

Hermione's heart stopped as she looked into the cold grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

The very surprised eyes of a man she hoped she would never see again.

Was it not just the day before she assured herself he would be locked up forever? Now here he was, standing in her office looking a bit too smug.

Why would Shacklebolt ever think it was a good idea to let him help with muggle events? He was EVIL! Was she the only person in this building who wasn't completely thick?

There was no way their ridiculous plan to change him actually worked. She helped with all these muggle-relations campaigns, but she never actually thought they would change any Death Eater opinions. This was just another one of his scams.

"You can't be serious Malfoy." She rolled her eyes and went back to her notes. It was unprofessional, but she was already in a horrible mood. She didn't need the nauseous feeling that accompanied being polite to scum.

He wasn't going away. He didn't look insulted either… a bit confused, actually. He watched her for a few minutes as she returned to her paperwork, still clinging to the now thin chance he would leave.

Instead he sat down in her tiny little guest chair. He looked ridiculous, such a tall man sitting in the plastic chair no one ever actually used. She didn't have appointments; it was mostly for show.

"Well, Miss Granger" she was disgusted by the way he rolled her name off his tongue, "it seems you weren't informed as to why I would be coming. I have been hired on by the Minister to assist in planning and executing events meant to educate the wizarding public in muggle culture." He was good. If she didn't know better, she would say there wasn't even disgust in his voice when he used the word 'muggle'.

She supposed she could no longer ignore him. He was at least putting on the disguise of professionalism, and she would be damned if Lucius Malfoy outdid her in politeness. That would certainly get around the office.

"Ah yes, I believe I received the memo Mr. Malfoy. I've just been so incredibly busy with the pro-muggle campaign gaining so much popularity. I must have forgot you would be stopping by." She smiled sweetly. That would show him for bringing his haughty attitude into her office.

"Well thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. I suppose you haven't come up with any ideas, since your other work is so terribly important." He smiled right back.

He had her now, the bastard. She had well-formed ideas ready to go, and he knew it. Unless she admitted to her lies, she would have to listen to whatever horrible plans he came up with.

"I can easily prepare a few event outlines for you to look over by next week, Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps there is a day you would prefer to meet and start organizing?" She was ready to work on them now, and had been hoping for a break from her other work, but the less time she had to think about Lucius Malfoy the better.

"That is quite a bit of time to leave me with nothing to do Miss Granger, are you sure we cannot move that up a bit? I am certain you would have time to prepare something for say, tomorrow afternoon?" He grinned at her again, as if he knew she had been lying. He knew she would not be able to say no to a direct challenge.

"I can certainly pull some material together. I will be in my office all afternoon, unless you have a specific time?" He had better not be expecting her to be able to meet him at the drop of a hat.

"Actually I was hoping we could meet over a late lunch. Somewhere in Diagon Alley perhaps? I haven't been able to get out much lately and I noticed a few new places have opened up."

Oh he was clever, playing the guilt card to get her out in public. Of course he hadn't been out.

She really didn't want to be seen with him outside her office, but it could be worse than a business lunch in an empty café. At least he would be forced to be civil.

"Certainly. Why don't we say 2 p.m. at the Boggart's Closet? That should give us plenty of time to go over everything." She chose a place that was not too busy, but had enough patrons that they still had witnesses.

He agreed to meet her there and left the office with a gleam in his eye that made Hermione very uncomfortable.


	4. Chapter 4

As Lucius walked down the corridor he suddenly felt much lighter. The day had taken a drastic turn in his favor, and he was very pleased indeed.

Assigned to work with Hermione Granger, princess of the mudbloods... it was too perfect to be true.

He was hoping to find a candidate for his plan at one of these horrid muggle events, but he now had something much better in mind.

She had been so shocked to see him there! He had to try hard to keep himself from chuckling as he played his little mind games with her. If his assumptions were correct, she had all her plans for the events ready long before he arrived. She just didn't want to spend more time with him than she had to. Little did she know how easily he could still persuade.

Maybe the events would go so well he would suggest having one every week? Or perhaps they needed to spend more time working in muggle environments to get the atmosphere just right.

He might not be a Death Eater any longer, but he certainly still knew how to torture the innocent. This was going to be quite a bit of fun after all.

He had taken a few of the pamphlets from outside her office. That evening in his study, as he sat down for a drink, he brushed up on the work she had been doing in the name of muggle awareness.

She_ must hate having to work on these. They are incredibly bland. A chance to work on something of substance must have felt like a miracle until she found out whom her partner would be._

He smirked as he read about muggle technology and it's useful applications to daily life. Some seemed rather silly, but he would likely need to familiarize himself with them if his act was to be convincing.

Perhaps he could find something to get himself acquainted with it in Diagon Alley in the morning.

* * *

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!"

She yelled as soon as she was back in her flat. A few things may have been broken in her outburst, but she quickly fixed them and collapsed on the sofa.

This was insane. How DARE the Minister even allow him to work with her! How was he even let in the building?

Hopefully Ginny was home, because she seriously needed to vent. She went over to the fireplace and stuck in her head.

"Ginny are you here? I really need to talk!" She yelled into her friend's living room.

"Mione is that you?" It was Harry.

Of course he would be in Ginny's apartment. She only moved out of the burrow to give her and Harry more alone time.

"Hey Harry, is Ginny busy? I need to talk to her." She could tell Harry about it also, but she didn't want to interrupt anything.

"Sure come on over! I'll go find her." Harry walked out of the room while Hermione floo'd over. She collapsed on the sofa while she waited for her friends.

"Hey there you are love, what's the matter? You look horrible!" Yep that was her best female friend, always honest.

"Thanks. Yeah I had a bit of a rough day at work. You two better sit." She said as they took seats on the opposite sofa.

"Alright, so I was working on my pamphlets this morning as usual, when Kingsley sends me a notification that I can finally work on my muggle culture project. You know, the one where we showcase muggle art and such?" She had mentioned it to them previously.

"Yeah it sounds familiar, like something you haven't stopped talking about for weeks." Harry groaned.

Ok so maybe she had mentioned it a few times too many.

"Right, so I start getting ready because he says he is sending someone who can help me plan. I have everything all laid out to explain exactly what I want when guess who walks in… Lucius Freaking Malfoy." Saying his name almost made her want to cry.

"No. No no no, how could that even happen? Didn't he JUST get off his house arrest? Why on earth would Kingsley allow him to ruin all our hard work towards muggle tolerance? I'm going to have a talk with him about this, it's an outrage!" Harry stood up and was pacing around the room, yelling about the blind faith peacetime was breeding.

"Calm down for a minute Harry and think about it. Maybe this is a good thing." They stared at Ginny like she had 3 heads.

"No just hear me out. I hate Lucius Malfoy just as much as you, but if he is willing to do this we should take it as an opportunity. The whole point of the project is to teach wizards that muggle culture isn't something to hate or fear. If you can make Lucius Malfoy even seem like he is opening his closed mind, how much more will that do for everyone else? He will want to look good for the Ministry, so in public you can use him as a vehicle. Get people to see that if the greatest muggle hater of all can appreciate muggle culture, they can too. Instead of letting him play you, be one step ahead and use it for your cause. This could be exactly what you need." She had a point, as much as Hermione didn't want to admit it. Harry even agreed that it would probably work.

"The only problem is having to actual deal with Malfoy. It may work, but it will not be fun." She sighed.

"No, but in all our experiences with him looking at muggle art certainly isn't the worst. It's just a challenge, and you are not one to turn a challenge down." Ginny knew her all too well.

"You're right, I can't just give up, so I need to make the most of it. Maybe he actually is a changed man, and will fight our cause to increase tolerance towards muggles!" All three of them had a good laugh at the idea.

Hermione went home feeling slightly less ill about her upcoming lunch meeting. It was just one more battle she needed to win.

* * *

A/N hey friends, this one is a bit short but it was a good place to end. Thanks for all the interest you have been showing!


	5. Chapter 5

Lucius left the manor an hour before his meeting with the Granger girl. He wanted to stop by a few stores in Diagon Alley, and make his presence known to the wizarding population once again.

Everyone probably knew he was allowed out again, but he needed to make sure they understood he wasn't afraid to show his face.

As he walked past shops, one new storefront caught his eye.

"Muggle Oddities for the New Age Wizards"

_Really? _He thought, _is that what these freaks are calling themselves now? What happened to the belief that nobility and heritage were of utmost importance?_

He knew the answer, but he still wanted to believe that this bizarre love of muggles was a trend that would die quickly. He entered the shop.

It was the strangest place he had ever been in by choice. He was hoping the store would have some coherent theme, but apparently the theme was insanity.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasant surprise!" The shop owner ran over to greet him, leaving his other customers behind.

Lucius was surprised by how many people were actually in the shop. The overly friendly shop owner gave him a tour around the shelves of bizarre objects.

"We only have a small stock for now, but with the surge in popularity we hope to be adding more items soon. Over here we have office supplies and household objects. Very interesting things here, like pens. See, it works like a quill, but you never need ink. Apparently the ink is inside it already. Over here we have a section of things that use batteries. Here take this pamphlet. Back there are all the expensive electronics for the wizards who are very serious about embracing the muggle ways of life. We also have a catalogue with clothing selection if that interests you."

He was sure the man would keep him there forever if he didn't choose something and get out. He decided on one of those pens, since it might actually prove useful. Even if it was a ridiculous looking object, using it at his meeting would be a great way to make the Granger girl believe he really was taking steps towards understanding muggles. It was all about creating an image.

He arrived at the restaurant with time to spare. She had already made a reservation at a table in the back of the room. He sat down and looked over the pamphlet while he waited. It made absolutely no sense to him, and he couldn't see how anyone would believe wizards should adopt muggle ways of life. It was like asking a child to unlearn speech.

Muggles needed these weird objects to supplement their lack of magic, did they not? He pulled out his new pen contraption to see whether or not it actually wrote without an inkwell.

It wouldn't surprise him if it were all just a scam. If muggle objects were the trend, no one would care if they were sold useless junk.

Surprisingly it worked rather well, as he elegantly wrote the date on the top of his parchment. He planned to take notes at this meeting, partially so he had proof of his participation, and partly so the girl could gawk over his lovely penmanship. He prided himself on his excellent writing.

Of course, he prided himself on most things, but he found that when trying to impress it was the small things that made a big impact.

A little bell tinkled, signaling that someone had opened the door. It was a highly irritating object that a simple charm could replace, but such was the issue in the world of muggles. Not having magic, and having to use inconvenient little objects to take it's place. Apparently this establishment was sucked into the muggle-loving absurdity.

He saw her stop to speak to the waiter, who pointed her in the direction of the table.

Lucius had to admit that she had quite a nice figure for such an irritating wench. If she were able to keep her mouth shut for extended periods of time he might even find her pleasant to be around.

Unfortunately, her personality left something to be desired. It could have been worse, he supposed. The plan would be much more enjoyable with someone easy on the eyes.

She deposited a very large portfolio on the table before sitting down. She was significantly more composed today, the overconfidence restored to its abnormal levels. He caught her off guard yesterday, and she likely did not want that to happen again. He would let her think she had the upper hand for a few minutes before regaining control.

"Ah Miss Granger, how lovely to see you again." The words oozed with a sultriness he found himself using frequently. He could see her cheeks getting pink before she even opened her mouth. This was all too easy.

"Hmm, yes, afternoon Lucius. I suppose we ought to get right into it. I brought a list of suggestions and some background research on the corresponding material." She opened up her portfolio and started rifling through pages, refusing to look him in the eyes.

What a little overachiever she was. It would not surprise him if she had already established an entire plan to make him have a change of heart. It would be exactly how a naive little girl with a hero complex would think. Thankfully, he had a much better idea.

"This is a working _lunch_, Miss Granger, is it not? Perhaps, before we delve into your stacks of suggestions, we can order our meal." He motioned to the waiter, who hurried over to take their order.

"Now then, where were we?" He picked up the pen and wrote a heading underneath the date. He planned to list all her suggestions and offer to mull them over. He waited for her to begin speaking, but after a few moments of silence he looked up.

She was staring at his page, absolutely entranced by his writing just as he suspected. Her eyes moved between his elegant script to his muggle pen, unsure of what was more intriguing.

He managed to resist the urge to smirk, although he doubted she would even look up and see it. He was trying very hard to work his charm, but he could never resist the opportunity to deride when it was practically thrown into his lap.

"It is very rude to gawk, Miss Granger. I knew your manners were slightly lacking, but I expected a bit more of you." Now he smirked freely.

* * *

Her eyes shot upwards. The retort was there on her tongue, but she knew she had been caught.

Embarrassed, she went back to rummaging through her portfolio. Letting Lucius Malfoy establish the upper hand so quickly was a very indication of how this project would go.

He was completely abhorrent, but his handwriting was absolutely lovely. He also seemed to have purchased a muggle pen. Apparently there would be no end to the surprises.

"Yes alright then," she regained her cool, businesslike composure, "since we are tasked with introducing muggle culture to those who may not be very open to the idea, I think it is best if we start with something small. Perhaps an activity that doesn't involve too much work, or much of a time commitment."

He looked up from his notes (_stupidly beautiful notes_) and looked directly in her eyes. She could feel her ears getting warm, and this flustered sensation she seemed to be feeling more often was creeping up again.

How could he manage to take her normally calm and collected demeanor, and tie it into knots?

Lost in thought, she almost forgot that she was supposed to be explaining her plan. He apparently hadn't, and found her distracted state rather amusing.

There was that damn smirk again. Kingsley would certainly pay for the hell he was putting her through.

"If you haven't lost your train of thought, Miss Granger, I suggest you give some examples. You may not remember, but muggle activities aren't exactly my area of expertise." He smirked again. She felt her cheeks getting red, and returned to her papers.

"Of course I remember, I mean… I have a few examples here that might be of interest. We could showcase some muggle art, or perhaps watch a film."

"Art is interesting yes, but perhaps not attention grabbing enough for our first event. What are these _films_ you speak of? I do not believe I have heard such a word."

Of course he hadn't. Why did he always find a way to make her look like an idiot?

"They are stories, like books, but told through moving pictures I guess. The best way to really explain it is just to see them for yourself." She always had a hard time explaining muggle concepts, but it was harder explaining them to him. It took patience, and being patient with a bigot was not high on her to-do list.

He would just have to figure out films for himself.

"An excellent suggestion Miss Granger. It would be best for us to watch them before choosing one for the event anyways. Why don't we say Saturday afternoon in your home?" He looked at her expectantly. He also seemed a bit smug.

That was not what she meant to imply and he knew it. Now she was trapped, yet again. Saying no would make her look like a child.

"I…well… does it need to be at my flat, Mr. Malfoy? I mean, I'm sure you really don't want to come there." She was losing her cool, but having him in her living space was an entirely new level of awkward.

We certainly do not have to. I have just spent quite a bit of time in my own home lately, you see. I also assumed the Manor was a place you were not too keen to…revisit so soon."

Ah, fair point. Having him over was much better compared to reliving those memories. She had pushed them from her mind a long time ago, and facing them would take some mental preparation.

"Saturday it is then. I will pick out a few films I feel are appropriate."

Watching movies with Lucius Malfoy. Wait until Ginny heard about this.


	6. Chapter 6

Lucius left a hefty tip for the waiter and returned to the streets of Diagon Alley feeling very satisfied. Despite Miss Granger's very obvious irritation with him, he could already see her resolve slipping. When it came to the art of manipulation, he was the master.

Having to visit the mudblood's home wasn't exactly his idea of a Saturday well spent, but he was not lying about being sick of the Manor. Besides, spending an afternoon in a muggle apartment building, if he was seen, would make quite a statement. It would likely even be newsworthy. There was talk about his release in the Prophet, but he had yet to make front-page news. He needed the good publicity, but mostly he just enjoyed being the centre of attention.

Lately he had been coming off as rather pathetic. Poor Lucius Malfoy, lost his wife and is sentenced to an eternity with his demons. If it hadn't been for the public's profound hatred of him, he feared he would have their pity.

No one pitied the Malfoy's, and he would certainly not be the one to change that.

He picked up the book and skimmed through it a bit, but he found it terribly dull. Muggles were simply very boring people. It was no wonder it took such a great effort to convince wizards they were even worthwhile human beings.

Everything took them such a long time, and they needed to create the strangest contraptions to substitute for the simplest spells. Who knew what kind of abomination he was in for on Saturday, but from what he had so far experienced in his not entirely authentic journey towards muggle tolerance, it would probably be mind numbing.

Luckily, frustrating Miss Granger was a highly entertaining way to pass the time.

It was surely a sign that depression was imminent when the only thing a highly cultured and well off man such as himself had to look forward to was making a twenty year old woman uncomfortable. He needed this plan to work, for the sake of not only his social life, but also his sanity. He could already feel it slipping away.

_Speaking of things slipping away, I should notify my devoted son of my release._

The boy had been distant, to say the least, but now that he was free Draco would surely think to drop by occasionally. After all, he still wanted to receive his inheritance, even if his family loyalty was deteriorating with time.

He had no idea where the boy had scampered off to now, but he must have found some way to support himself. Lucius kept very close watch on their bank accounts, even while locked up in his home. Draco barely withdrew from the family money, so it had to be coming from somewhere.

He picked up his new pen and began to write.

Draco,

I hope this letter finds you well. You may have already heard that I have been released from house arrest. While I am not sure where you have been these last few months, if you happen to be in the area I would appreciate my only son and living family member stopping by. I have been assigned a project by the Ministry, but outside of that I have yet to restore my presence in society. A bit of company on occasion is not too much to ask. You may bring your lady friend along if you wish. I heard news that you had one these days.

Father

He went for a more subtle approach at guilt. Draco was his child, and he refused to be ignored forever. Lucius did not care if this new fling was the most distracting woman in the world. He risked life and limb for that boy, and this was the thanks he got in return.

He called his eagle down from his perch and sent the letter on its way.

* * *

"Ginny I need you!" She yelled into the fireplace. Her friend popped into her apartment a few minutes later.

"I would ask what the problem is, but judging by the mess in here you are having some kind of serious crisis."

Hermione was sitting on the floor of her living room. The mess in question was the result of her frantic search for the perfect film to watch on Saturday. They were spread all over the floor, and she looked rather frazzled.

"It is a bit of a crisis. You recall that today was my lunch meeting with the devil?" She was still upset with how their meeting had turned out. She got the suspicious feeling they were not going to get any better as the project went on, but if she didn't oblige her job would suffer.

"Ah yes, and have you made the old villain see the errors of his ways? Will he be adopting muggle children and taking up a position as a soap opera star within the year?" At least one of them found the situation amusing.

"Yeah sure, laugh it up. You aren't the one who had to sit through a lunch with him while he played little mind games. I don't think he knows how to turn off the conniving and mockery. He sat there provoking me, and when he had me caught in his trap he laughed openly about it."

He made her feel like an idiot. Hermione Granger never felt like an idiot.

"Well Draco was spawned from him, you surely couldn't expect it to be pleasant. They say prison changes people but I doubt it can solve genetic mutations in personality." Ginny's upbeat attitude was getting on Hermione's already sensitive nerves. Just because her life was working out so perfectly at the moment didn't mean she needed to laugh off Hermione's problems.

"Obviously I didn't expect him to be pleasant. I didn't expect him to be anything because I never imagined I would actually need to tolerate him!" She stood up, attempting to pace, but the films were in the way.

"He even bought a muggle pen, and was using it as if there was nothing strange about it, but he knew when I noticed. Why would someone go to that much trouble to make another person uncomfortable?" She tried her best to be polite to everyone, but he tested her limits. Ginny was still laughing at her outburst.

"Hermione, he has tons of gold and has absolutely nothing to do with it right now. If I were him, I'd be bored out of my mind too. Is it really so shocking that he will go out of his way to torment you? He was a bloody Death Eater. You are the only person he can bully and still get away with it, and it seems you are making it easy for him. So suck it up and quit taking it just to be nice. Now tell me what all this nonsense is about."

Oh the Ginny pep talk. This was why Hermione always went to her for advice. Harry beat around the bush weighing all sides, but the fiery Weasley girl always spoke her mind.

"Right, sorry. That is the best part. We decided that for our first event we would show a muggle film. It is a fairly easy introduction to muggle art, without demanding much effort. The bad part is that he suggested we watch a few first, so we can choose one to play."

"So what? That makes sense, doesn't it?" Ginny didn't see where she was going.

"So what is that Lucius Malfoy is coming over on Saturday to watch muggle films with me." She closed her eyes and fell on the sofa.


	7. Chapter 7

If Ginny was amused before, she was now in an uproar. Her laughing would not stop, despite many dirty looks from Hermione.

"Oh Merlin that is rich! You two can snuggle up on the couch in pajamas and eat popcorn. Oh please let me hide in the closet and watch."

"I am warning you, this is not funny! He is coming to my house! What kind of movies do you show a murderous psychopath?" She shouted, getting a bit riled.

This was the heart of her predicament, as embarrassing as it was. She didn't want him there, but she couldn't change that. Now she needed to find something to convince him muggle films weren't completely idiotic.

"I wouldn't call him a psychopath. A bit sadistic yes, but I believe he had some ideas of right and wrong in the end, or they wouldn't have let him out."

Why would she defend him anyways? Wasn't it a best friend's job to agree with everything you said?

"As for your problem, why not watch something sophisticated? An old classic that the stuffy codger could relate to…purebloods love all that old fashioned crap." Sometimes Hermione thought Ginny was the wisest person she knew.

She made up for it in brashness.

When Hermione and Harry first introduced the youngest Weasley to television, it was hard to pry her from it. She likely watched every video the local rental shop had, and probably more than Hermione had seen in a lifetime. It was why she was the perfect assistant when the right films needed to be picked.

They sat on the floor for the rest of the evening, sorting the mess into piles. Finally everything was organized neatly.

"Alright… over here we have definitely not's, here are the maybe's, and these are distinctly possible. How many did you think you wanted to watch?" Ginny asked, grabbing the stack of possible choices and sifting through them.

"Well more would be better, but the less time I spend with Lucius Malfoy in my house, the better. Why don't we go with two?"

In the end they went with Casablanca and The Godfather. Ginny found the later a very amusing choice, and could not stop laughing.

It was significantly better than all her suggestions, which she made for her own amusement. There was no way Hermione would think of showing Malfoy any film with that much sex. It was bad enough thinking of watching Casablanca.

The red-head was still giggling when she got up to leave.

"I will talk to you tomorrow. Maybe I can come over on Saturday and help you set things up before your _date _gets here." She ran to the fireplace before Hermione could catch her.

"That man is NOT my date, Ginevra Weasley! Get back here so I can hex you!"

* * *

Draco Malfoy was a very different man, and he wanted everyone to know it.

His family had been disgraced, he lost his mother, and his father was locked up in his Manor. The name he had spent his adolescence being so very proud of was now his biggest flaw.

He spent the years since his mother's death working his hardest to rise above the family he no longer wanted to be a part of. Finally he was given a respectable job with Gringotts that allowed him to travel, leaving his ghosts behind.

He continued to visit his father out of duty, but after a year or so it became tiresome and depressing. When he met Astoria through work, he decided it was time to cut all his ties and focus on the future. The bank sent them all over Europe, establishing important business connections. The past 4 months had been spent in Italy, setting the groundwork for a new bank branch.

He would have been happy to stay away from England forever, but Astoria wanted to return soon and see her family. He still needed to decide whether it was worthwhile going home.

"Darling, there is a bird at the window. Should I let it in?" She asked him.

What kind of question was that?

"Yes please, I'm coming." He saw the bird and stopped. Only one person would send a letter with that overly pretentious thing. He grabbed the parchment on the eagle's ankle and read what his dear father had to say.

"Well, who is it?" She was so oblivious it was adorable.

"It seems my father has been unleashed on the world again. I suppose I will need to stop in and see him after all." Great, just when things were going so well.

* * *

Lucius studied the book carefully, but the diagrams were not helping. Nothing in his wardrobe looked like the mess this book called "casual and comfortable".

The only muggle clothing he would even consider wearing was listed under formal attire. He had a few well made muggle suits, but the girl likely wouldn't appreciate him showing up wearing one of those, as much as he wanted to for his own sake.

It would probably get filthy sitting on her furniture anyways.

He was having a real predicament. It was unlike him to have nothing to wear; this situation was just below his usual social standard.

He supposed now that he would be attending these ridiculous muggle events he would need appropriately muggle clothing.

For now, he decided on trousers and a light dress shirt. He would owl his tailor later and set up an appointment to have appropriate clothing made. He most certainly would not be buying clothing from the so-called "new age wizards".

Tying his hair back with a ribbon, he picked up his walking stick and threw a winter cloak over his shoulders.

Whatever fresh hell he was in for today, at least he would appear eminent. In his opinion, no matter what you accomplished in a day, it was important to be well groomed. More often than not it helped with getting one's way.

The riff raff he so often found himself associating with in his Death Eater days seemed to share a different viewpoint, but that was exactly why he managed to rise above all of them. They somehow managed to be constantly filthy.

He had been making a political move, not rolling with the outcasts. They did not understand politics, they were either idiots or insane.

Unfortunately it turned out to be the wrong political move in the end, but he was rising above that now. Handsomely.

Few things truly frightened Lucius Malfoy, but as he appeared in Diagon Alley and prepared to enter muggle London, he realized how far out of his element he was about to step.

For once, the mudblood might actually have the upper hand. Not that he would let her realize, even for a moment. She was probably already squirming uncomfortably, having a fit that someone of his background would be in her home.

He looked down at the slip of parchment that held her address. For someone so intelligent, her handwriting was nearly indecipherable. Perhaps she felt the need to write as fast as she thought? It looked as though it was once neat, but years of nerves and constant scribbling made it too small and angular.

She likely envied his writing, although he couldn't blame her; it was impeccable.

The building came into view. It was nothing spectacular; in fact it looked a tad bland. Surely Miss Granger had the money to afford something better than this hovel? She was a war hero after all.

Did the Ministry not reward those who had essentially saved them from utter destruction?

Unless she simply chose to live this way, in which case he really would never understand her.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione woke up an hour before Malfoy was supposed to arrive. She probably should have been more nervous, but she decided he wasn't worth stressing about any more than she had. The only reason for waking when she did was Ginny popping in to wish her luck and see if there was anything else she needed.

They tidied the place up a bit, but that was a courtesy extended to any company. Lucius Malfoy was not in any way special.

Looking in her closet, she pulled out what she felt was a typical "watching movies" outfit: track pants and a plain top. She was rather proud of herself, since normally she would have spent ages determining the best outfit to make an impression.

He would likely show up in his black robes, since he couldn't dress down if it killed him. He would probably find her attire repulsive, and that suited her just fine. She wanted this project to go well, but it would be done through her own hard work and not through attempts to impress someone she didn't care about.

There were some snacks in the fridge for later, and she stopped by the store for juice last night. Did Malfoys even drink juice? Something so simple and good seemed below their standards. Their juice was probably freshly squeezed by the poor little houselves in their kitchen, from only the best oranges money could buy.

She laughed at how silly the entire thought was, and went to sit and wait. He was guaranteed to be right on time.

11:55, it would be any minute now. She put down her book just as she heard the knock. It was very him- powerful and commanding.

Suddenly she was very nervous. It was actually happening. A part of her had hoped he wouldn't show, but now he was here in the flesh. It would be real as soon as she opened the door. Heart racing, she suddenly regretted her choice of clothing. It was easy to challenge someone in theory, but when it became reality she suddenly found her courage faltering.

That never used to happen.

_Well, here goes nothing._

"Mr. Malfoy, please come in."

He stood on the threshold, taking in her appearance. She felt childish, but managed to keep her confident guise. Of course, he was dressed impeccably, and not even wearing his wizard robes. It was slightly more formal than required for the activity, but he actually made an effort. He was winning.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. Did I catch you unprepared? I believe this was the time you were expecting me." Great, he brought it up.

He looked around the flat, then back at her appearance. It hadn't taken very long for the smirk to appear.

"Not at all Lucius, I dressed suitably with the occasion in mind." Now she was smirking. He was not sure how to take that; she saw the anger flash in his eyes.

_Play the game, Hermione. He flitters between charm and mockery, but you have a charm of your own, and he is the biggest snake of them all. _

"Let us get on with it then, girl. We have a job to do here." His face went blank of any emotion, and instantly he was the cold and heartless man she had been accustomed to before this week. Amazing how easily he could turn to stone.

"Of course, please have a seat and we can begin." Inside, she felt her confidence coming back. She had beaten him at his own game, even momentarily. This was going to be a very interesting day after all.

* * *

He was fuming as he took a seat on the couch. How dare the little slip of a girl insult him so? Insinuating that he wasn't even worth getting dressed over. If it were 5 years ago she would have paid dearly for that comment.

She walked towards the box sitting on a table and pushed some kind of button. A light flickered and sounds started coming from it. He jumped, and heard her stifle a giggle.

There were people moving on the face of the box. He turned to glare at her.

"Who are they? They can't see us…?" He was not sure if they were like magical paintings, who could see those they interacted with.

"No they can't. It's pre recorded, you see. This film was made in the 70's and it is the same every time someone watches it. Just watch, and you will see." She spoke to him as if he was a child.

He wanted to argue, to fight back, but slowly the people in this strange story distracted him from his anger. It was certainly intriguing.

He could relate to the power struggles, the corruption… the death. He saw inklings of his own family history, and what may have become of them if it were not for Voldemort. They only ever wanted control, money and high standings.

He would never admit it to anyone, but the entire thing was a bit eye opening. Here were muggles with values similar to his own. They wanted what was best for their family, and would kill to protect it. Obviously magic was a much more sophisticated way to go about it all, it was much less messy, but he felt an inkling of respect for the Don.

He watched as Michael slowly took over the operation, and thought about Draco. Would his son ever have risen to the role of head of the family, despite his own desire to not be involved? He had been forced into the war as a child, forced to take on responsibilities well above his years. Would it have been any different if he had been a man? Lucius wanted to think that if he had been nearly killed, Draco would have stepped up and kept them going. But did he honestly want that for his son? After everything, did he not deserve the chance to choose his own path?

Why had Granger chosen this film anyways? Was she trying to send him some kind of message? Obviously she had a motive for everything she did, she was not so different from him despite what she liked to think. There was a thirst for manipulation in her eyes. She was trying to elicit some kind of emotions in him.

He would worry about her purpose behind it all afterwards. Revenge could be served when the story was finished.

He had to admit that it was an excellent matrix for getting wizards used to the muggle world. After a while he found himself less shocked by their appearance, and barely questioning the strange items they were constantly using. He was learning against his will, under the guise of entertainment. Brilliant, really.

He did not care the least bit about educating other wizards about muggle culture, but the girl's silly little scheme might actually be a success. If Lucius Malfoy could have his name associated with something so groundbreakingly positive in the eyes of the Ministry it would do wonders for his reputation. All it would take was a bit more deceit, and they would all be putty in his hands once again.

* * *

Hermione felt quite awkward, sitting stiffly on the sofa beside Malfoy. She could not get comfortable in his presence; it was just too weird.

She had prepared herself mentally for the mockery, the sarcastic comments, and all around ridicule of muggle culture, but he hadn't said a word. It unnerved her; he was just sitting there, stiff as a board, staring at the tv.

For a minute she worried he died on her couch, he was so still.

_How old is he anyways, 60? He certainly doesn't look old, but all wizards age slowly… No he must only be in his 40's, he was in school a few years about Sirius, Remus and James. _

He wasn't dead, she could see his muscles tensing as he focused on the screen. She had been sneaking glances at him for the first 20 minutes, but he still hadn't moved or noticed her looking. She was openly staring now, so it was obvious he was completely oblivious to her.

It was a blessing he was being inadvertently pleasant, she should have been enjoying the silence and watching the movie, but she could not pull her eyes away from his face. Whatever reaction he was having to the story, it was causing him serious tension. His jaw clenched, his eyes would widen, and his grip on the furniture tightened. She wasn't too sure if he was enjoying the movie, staring things down might just be how he expressed delight, but at least it was causing some sort of reaction.

It was the first time Hermione seriously looked at Lucius Malfoy without fear or rage impeding her judgment. When he wasn't paying any attention, he almost seemed like a regular man.

No, that wasn't true. His features were far from normal. They were sculpted by centuries of aristocratic pure blood breeding. His strong jaw, tall face, pale skin, and very muscular stature were an uncommon sight among the regular folk. If he were a sculpture she would have said he was beautiful. Unfortunately, he had a personality that completely contrasted his angelic face. The Malfoys were likely given such good looks to distract from their cruelty. She was reminded of a muggle notion – the devil in disguise.

Coming out of her trance, she noticed the credits rolling just in time to shift her body back towards the television. Had she honestly spent that whole time watching him watch the movie? She really needed more hobbies, she was losing it.

At least Ginny made a good choice for the first film. She would save that information for a day when Miss Weasley needed cheering up. She loved hearing she was right.

The atmosphere shifted as he relaxed and turned to face her. The man she had been observing for over an hour was gone. The face was the same, but a smug sense of superiority took over it. She always thought hate was a bit of a strong word, but she most certainly hated him.

She thought about Ginny's advice to actually try and change him. Could a world where Lucius Malfoy was tolerable even exist? He was silent through an entire movie, so maybe anything could happen.

"Well, what did you think?" it was the moment of truth. She would finally find out exactly what he was thinking that entire time.

"It was tolerable." He answered, turning away and examining his hands as if he was rather disinterested. Her jaw would have dropped if it weren't already clenched in anger. It was such an obvious lie. This just would not do if this project were to succeed. Letting him get away with all the nonsense needed to stop now.

"Only tolerable? Your lack of complaining and insulting seemed to indicate otherwise." He remained silent, only turning to glare in her direction. He just refused to admit he actually enjoyed it, but sometimes saying nothing said the most.

"Right, well do you at least have any questions? That was quite a bit of muggle culture for one sitting."

His mouth twitched, as if he had so many questions threatening to burst forth but he was biting his tongue. If only someone else was here to witness what was probably a first.

"Are you _trying_ to act the berating school teacher Miss Granger? I did not think there would be a test afterwards." Ah yes, there it was. It just took him a minute to thaw out.

"Didn't you? And here I was under the impression you were always prepared. If you seem to already know everything, just pretend you're one of the purebloods who isn't knowledge incarnate and come up with a question." _And get out of my house_ she wanted to add. This was becoming quite exhausting and she would not last through another movie. After they finished discussing he needed to leave.

"If I must, I suppose what struck me as strange were the filthy contraptions they used to kill each other; so noisy and messy. What is the point?"

Of course that was his first question. He didn't care that they killed each other, but the way they did it was too messy for his sophisticated tastes.

"Those are guns. It's probably the easiest and quickest way muggles have found to kill each other. A little piece of metal shoots out of it really fast and if it hits the right place, you die." She knew it was a basic explanation and did no real justice to the technology of guns, but he probably did not care. In his mind, they were a messy substitute for what wizards could do with magic.

"How uncouth. All the mess just to kill one man, and sometimes it doesn't even work? This is why we think the muggles are below us. Their technology is a crude imitation."

_Did he just say think? He made it seem like an opinion rather than a fact._

It was a slip of the tongue, but maybe it was one tiny step in the right direction. However, it didn't distract Hermione from her opportunity to argue.

"So you think that just because your way of murder is more sophisticated, it makes it better? As if killing someone in one fashion is any more admirable than another?"

He was truly twisted in his values, right down to the core.

"Well certainly! There is no mess, and there is still a body for the family to bury all in one piece. The life is simply gone."

"They are still dead! It is still killing, Lucius, and perhaps the notion that there is a dignified way to go about it is the most disturbed of all! At least muggles know what they are doing is messy and disgusting, for the most part. You think that because it is tidy and quick it can be glossed over like the morning paper, and that is part of the attitude we are trying so hard to change."

The yelling and banter went on for what seemed like hours. It felt good.

She had been cooped up in her little office so long, not making any strides, not being challenged. Having someone at her own level to really go at felt wonderful. Finally he had enough of her attitude and prepared to storm out.

He grabbed his cloak and said something about meeting again during the week to iron out details, but she wasn't paying much attention. Suddenly the fire was back in her, and it was unfortunately thanks to Lucius Malfoy.

**A/N - SOOOOO sorry this took so long. I got buried alive in school work in the last month of my undergrad and have only just dug my way out. Hopefully this at least somewhat lives up to the expectations, and I promise to be back to my regularly scheduled updating. **


	9. Chapter 9

"So you didn't even make it to the second movie?" Ginny was disappointed in here retelling of the events. Hermione only glossed over the argument, and left out how much she actually enjoyed fighting again.

"Yeah, and that was probably a mistake. I mean, I never actually intended to show The Godfather at the event. We just picked it to get him interested. It probably isn't a good thing to show a room of former criminals. I had been banking on Casablanca being our top choice." Not that she minded avoiding watching it just with him. Maybe it was best the way it turned out.

"Just suggest watching it instead when you meet him next. When was that going to be?"

Hermoine stopped. She didn't actually remember when he said he would be by, since she hadn't been paying much attention. That would certainly make Ginny suspicious.

"Later on in the week I suppose. He was going to owl me." A convincing lie.

"Really? Here I expected you to have every single aspect of the project well mapped out. Do you even know where you will be hosting the event?"

"Well no. I suppose that is what we need to discuss next. I really didn't have time to plan much more since I really just wanted him out. He got very irritating."

"Yeah, that I can understand. How you managed to let him in here in the first place baffles me. I'm shocked the entire place doesn't reek of pretention."

Hermione was still a bit lost in her own thoughts. It had been quite some time since she felt that elated.

Arguing had always been something that thrilled her, because she was just so good at it. It was hard to find someone worth her time when it came to a good spat. Ron had been pointless. He was just too stupid and far too temperamental to engage in a real and meaningful debate. Harry would have been a worthy candidate, but he gave up much too easy. Hermione found the only person she enjoyed bickering with since school was Ginny. She was clever and fiery, and while Hermoine beat her in intelligence, she had quite a bit of nerve.

However, it was never fueled by actual anger, like this had been. It pulled her out of her slump and made her want to get back in the world and fight for what she believed in, the way she used to. Of course, it was rather ridiculous to feel that way about a simple argument with Lucius Malfoy. He probably fought like that with everyone, and thought nothing of it.

There was no doubt he made her very angry, and she had to keep calm to maintain professionalism, but a small part of her wanted to make him lose his temper again. She didn't think it would be hard.

* * *

"Insolent girl!" He yelled, throwing his glass at the wall of his study. He then proceeded to fix it, and fill it up with more firewhiskey.

It had been a few hours, and he was still furious. She dared argue with him like that, and the way he stormed out made it seem like she had won. If she was on some high horse when they met next it might be the death of him.

Then there was the movie itself. He never confronted her about it's choosing, but he assumed it must have been to insult him. To point out that his life was no better than that of muggle criminals. She likely never even guessed he would have enjoyed it.

How difficult it was to hold his tongue when she tried to discuss it. He had real questions, about their society and whether muggles still acted this way. If all cities were run by these rings of men who operated above the law.

He saw so many parallels to his own life, but he dared not mention them. He especially wanted to know if there was more, or if that was simply the end to the story.

She knew there was more he wanted to say, and she mocked him for it. How could a creature be so completely unbearable? He hated many men and women in his day, but she made him absolutely shake with fury.

It made him wonder whether he should go through with his plan at all. Could he bear it, or would it drive him insane?

_What, and let her defeat me once and for all? What kind of Malfoy turns down a challenge?_

The answer was none. He had been through Azkaban, he had outlived Voldemort, and he still had his sanity. What could a tiny little girl even dream of doing to unhinge the impenetrable Lucius Malfoy?

He just could not afford to lose his temper in front of her again. That seemed very important to his success. His impatience would get the better of him, and she would be less agreeable in the future.

He needed to be on his best behaviour if he wanted to figure her out. Even the strong-willed had weaknesses, and somewhere under her ego and thick skin was a timid girl waiting to be preyed upon. The game was afoot, and he was determined to emerge victorious.

* * *

Days went by, and Hermione heard nothing from Lucius about their upcoming meeting. She was beginning to worry he had given her a time and place and she never heard. Her hopes had been set on suggesting somewhere out of public eye for this meeting, so she could try her luck at making him lose his temper again.

She knew it was a fairly stupid reason, and that she should really be focusing on her work, but it had been years since she thought about much else.

As she was contemplating owling him her suggestion, who should walk in the door?

_Great, there go my chances of any fun._

She couldn't risk being unprofessional in front of her colleagues, and Malfoy certainly would be on his best behavior.

"Miss Granger, I trust your week has gone well?" He seemed to have taken his tone of superiority down a notch.

"Yes it has been fine, how about yours?"

_This is awkward. Small talk does not suit him in the least. He can't actually be interested in the lives of others, so it seems like too much effort to appear polite._

"Oh you know, rather dull. Going out gets rather old when everyone stares at you open mouthed, but it seems to be better than staying in."

Was this what he thought chatting was like? Did he ever have anyone he attempted to speak normally to?

"Right. Well I suppose we should get down to business. We need to decide on a venue. There is also the matter of nailing down the date."

"Indeed. I also have given it some thought, and I think it best if you choose another film. After all, we may be dealing with a room of barely reformed criminals, and we don't want to give anyone ideas."

She was speechless. Those were her exact thoughts coming from his mouth. Hermione Granger and Lucius Malfoy had the same idea.

"Fair enough, I will take a look and find something I deem suitable and tasteful. Do you wish to view it beforehand?"

"No that is fine. I will leave you to it as it is your area of expertise. Now the real issue is the venue. Obviously the best choice would be the Manor. It is somewhere everyone can find and I have more than enough space. However, you deem it rather unsuitable for your own reasons."

Ah, here was his angle. She would not give in that easy. Some day she might be ready to face Malfoy Manor, but this was pushing it.

"You are correct about that. I suppose no one would want to go somewhere in the muggle world. That would be moving a bit quickly. Anywhere at the Ministry we could host it?"

"No, the meeting rooms are far too plain for the level of event I have in mind."

They went back and forth for some time, each having a reason to turn down the other's suggestions.

"Well how about we host it outside the Manor, on our extensive lawn. I can set up a tent large enough for everyone, and with a few heating charms we can keep it warm. That covers every possible problem."

He had a point. As much as she didn't want to be anywhere near that building, outside was much better than in.

They agreed to send out invitations within the community, first to those they deemed more open minded. If the first event was a success they would try those who were a bit more difficult to persuade.

It would take place in two Saturdays, and they planned to meet over the weekend to iron out the small details.

When he finally took his leave she sat back for a moment, wondering what curse had suddenly made him bearable. It seemed out of place, and it slightly unnerved her, but they had accomplished more than all their previous meetings combined. For that reason only, she would forget the uncomfortable feeling and just go with it.

**A/N - a few of you wanted to see them watch Casablanca. I realized I did too, it just wasn't really the moment in the last chapter, so it will make it's appearance at the event**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - I know you were hoping the event would be in this chapter, but I started writing this hoping to include them both, and this ended up being longer than expected. Event will be the entire next chapter though, promise! **

Lucius was very pleased as he sat across from Miss Granger in the same little Diagon Alley pub where they had their first meeting. Things hadn't gone this well for him in ages, and he had almost forgotten the wonderful feeling of success.

It was shocking what a little attitude change could actually achieve. He simply leveled out his personality, taking down the charm, adding a bit more positive feedback.

He played it all well, and in turn she was much more agreeable. She took his suggestions without argue, and seemed to forgo the power struggle that she was obviously never going to win.

Today her eyes even lacked their usual disappointment when she saw that he was there. He never quite understood that look, but it may have always been her secret wish that he had died some tragic death since their last meeting.

Slowly but surely, if he could keep the charade of decency going, she would warm up to him. He didn't think she trusted him yet; she wasn't naïve enough to think he had a sudden change of heart, but Lucius did not feel it would take long.

"There has been quite a bit of hype since invitations went out." She commented, after they had taken care of the other details.

It was certainly true. He received many owls from the invitation recipients. Some were positive, others merely intrigued, and a few questioned his involvement altogether. He also received many from the rest of the community, voicing their displeasure. Apparently they deemed his partnership with Miss Granger quite unsuitable, and wished to know who he imperiused to get himself in such a position.

Hermione received many similar letters, congratulating her on an outstanding effort of reform, but questioning how she ended up working alongside such a monster.

She wrote back assuring them it was more necessity than choice.

The surrounding drama seemed to have no effect on attendance, if their responses were any indication. Nearly everyone invited planned to attend, whether out of interest or mere curiosity.

"Lucius, do you actually think this will make any difference? I know you have only been thrown into the entire project, but you have never expressed any real opinion of it."

She looked at him expectantly, as if the question had been on her mind for weeks but she was too afraid to ask. Now, in the stress of their first real event, she needed confirmation that it was all worth it.

But how could he answer that? He still didn't feel she was a creature deserving of his honest opinions, unless they were in the form of an insult. However, he could not come out and say it would be a complete failure. That would get back to Shacklebolt somehow. It would also likely reduced her to tears, and he did not want to deal with that.

"It certainly has potential." He tried to control his usual sarcastic drawl, not wanting to sabotage all his hard work.

In truth, he did see real potential in this ridiculous project. He thought it a rather stupid aim, educating wizards about muggles, but if there were any way to do it this would be the way. They were disguising education in tolerance as entertainment, and that was a very clever way to go about it.

For a moment, she looked a bit downcast. He continued.

"I suppose the only way to know for sure is to see for ourselves."

* * *

Draco and Astoria arrived at the Manor in the afternoon. It had taken them some time to settle things in order to take a vacation, but they were able to come home for two weeks. Plenty of time for her to visit with family, and more than enough time for him to tolerate his.

A house elf popped up. He had seen this one a few times, but as a youth he never bothered remembering their names.

"Oh the young master! Is he home to stay with his pretty young lady friend?"

"No, actually I'm just here to see my father. I presume he is in his study?" It was the only place the man spent any time. He began heading for the stairs.

"No, oh no young master. The master is not in today. He is out again with the muggle-born girl. May be gone some time."

_Wait, what?! _

What had happened that his father was suddenly out consorting with muggle-borns? Who was she and what exactly were they doing?

The house elf likely couldn't say, so he decided to wait in the study until the elder Malfoy returned.

"You don't need to stay. You can go see your family." He said to Astoria, who was standing awkwardly by the door.

"No, no, I don't want to just leave you sitting here."

"Honestly, he really isn't much of a pleasure to meet, and the fact that I've dropped in unexpectedly may not please him. I promise if you go home now, we will come by tomorrow for proper formalities." He knew Lucius would be angry, and he did not need Astoria to be any part of that. He didn't want her to have anything to do with his father, but that seemed to be asking too much. She apparated out to surprise her own parents, which was likely to be exceedingly more pleasurable than what was in store for him.

* * *

There was a distinct pop, and the man he was waiting and yet dreading to see stood before him.

"Ah, my long lost son has chosen to return. I must confess I expected you to arrive much sooner than this, Draco. Whatever was keeping you so preoccupied?"

There was that knowing smirk. The man was impossible.

"I might ask you the same question, father. You see, I have been waiting in this study for quite some time."

"Ah my boy, always making assumptions. If you recall, I have been released from my home on probation. Partially by my own attempts to make my way back to my former influential glory, partially by the ministry's attempts to get me involved in the betterment of society, I have been assigned a task to help wizards understand muggle culture."

Draco stared at him for a minute before the laughter started.

"They are actually letting _you_ be a part of their pro-muggle projects? They must be really desperate for help."

He was still laughing. Had the boy always been so rude, or was this some new product of his life away from England?

"That is quite enough! Perhaps it is their plan to submerse me so deep in muggle life that I will have a complete change of heart. It's rather amusing how naïve they seem to be. A few weeks with Miss Granger and I'll suddenly be a new man! Of course, the entire aim of my plan is to make it seem that way. I will need to be the poster boy for all this nonsense, but it is a small price to pay." It was good to have someone to tell about his plans, even if his son no longer seemed to approve of such things.

"Wait…did you say Miss Granger? Granger as in Hermione Granger, bushy haired know-it-all who was the bane of my existence? It would be her they put in charge of all this. She actually agreed to work with you?"

Draco knew the girl rather well, as he had been jealous of the way she always seemed to beat him in school. Lucius wondered if the boy used to have a bit of a crush on her, but was just unable to admit it.

"Yes, her. I'll admit she hasn't been very pleased about the situation, but my skills in deception are slowly changing her mind. If I can have her singing my praises by the end of this project, the ministry will not be able to deny my change of heart."

Draco simply shook his head.

"Father, I'm going to tell you something that you likely will not understand or bother to think about. I left this place to turn over a new leaf. Along the way I learned a very important lesson. It is far more meaningful to actually try than it is to fake your way through life. Maybe it's harder, and it may take more time, but you build real relationships and the success you gain is truly earned. I am more proud of my current achievements than anything I have done, despite the difficulties I needed to experience to get where I am. I have made true friends, who don't expect anything in return for their kindness. I fell in love with someone who doesn't care about my family, my money, my heritage. All I want is for you to experience even a little of that. When was the last time you had a true friend? The last time you did anything without an ulterior motive?"

He knew Draco wasn't expecting an answer, which was good because he was speechless. He had no idea the boy had grown into a man in the time he was away.

His pride would not let him admit it at the moment, but it was really all he ever wanted for his son.

"I need to go find my girlfriend. I was hoping to bring her over tomorrow for dinner, if that suits you." His tone was a bit annoyed, possibly because Lucius had nothing to say following his emotional speech.

"That will suit me fine. I look forward to meeting her. Perhaps, if you still plan to be here, you can attend our first even next Saturday. Your forward thinking attitude in this new world may be a good example for the others we have invited."

"Certainly father. I shall see you tomorrow evening then." His dismissed himself and apparated out of the study.

Lucius thought about having his son at the event. The drastic change in Draco's lifestyle might reflect well on him. Contrarily, it gave everyone the opportunity to compare the two generations of Malfoys, and in the post-war world it wasn't Lucius coming out on top.


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione woke up early Saturday morning and began rifling through her closet. She never worried too much about how she looked or what she wore, but today was different.

This event would be the biggest social gathering in months, if not a year, and she was the one in charge. Many very influential and well-respected members of the wizarding community would be in attendance, and she needed to make a good impression. Part was for the sake of the project, but it was also about making connections for her future.

She had tried on over a dozen outfits, and none were quite what she was going for. As a hostess she needed to be formal, but she also wanted to remain respectable. Her intellect would obviously be the selling point, but she decided that maybe it was time to get noticed for selfish and petty reasons. There had been few things lately she had done solely for her.

With that in mind, she shoved her disheveled head in the fireplace.

"Ginny, I need your help!" She called to the empty room.

"Of course you do. I'll be right there." Her friend called.

She was not lying. As soon as Hermione pulled her head out and shook the soot from her hair, Ginny appear with an armful of dresses.

"I had already been collecting them. I know how drab everything you own is."

Hermione felt a bit lost when Ginny took control of a situation. Dresses were being pulled over her head and back off again before she even got a chance to see them. Finally one seemed to make the redhead happy. She turned her to face the mirror.

"I think this is it."

She looked at herself, and imagined greeting her guests, the picture of poise and sophistication.

"It's perfect."

She planned to arrive at Malfoy Manor an hour before the event was to start. She was bringing the actual technology, and it would take her a little while to set it up. She also wanted to make sure Malfoy actually got everything done.

_Of course he did, he has nothing better to do._

She apparated just outside his gate, and stood a moment looking at the massive house. A chill ran down her spine as she tried to push the memories from her mind. It was not the building's fault, and she needed to remember that. The terrible woman was gone and she was a stronger person in the end. That had been her mantra over the years when she needed help forgetting.

She pushed the gate open and looked up again. It was a huge mansion, yet he complained so much about being confined to it.

_A house is no comfort when you are in it alone._

She didn't know where that thought came from, but it was probably true. The greater the mansion, the greater the echo.

She proceeded up the walk, thinking of how nice it would be to have such a beautiful and expansive property. She always enjoyed camping as a girl, because the outdoors gave her a serenity she otherwise only found in books.

Finally, she could see the top of what she assumed was the tent set up for the evening.

The air was a bit chilly, but it was still a nice day for early March. She hauled her box of equipment up to the tent and set it on one of the tables. Lucius was nowhere to be seen, so she went ahead with setting up. A flick of her wand got the screen in place while she fiddled with the wires and buttons.

It was tricky to get muggle technology working where there weren't any plug-ins, but she had charmed the projector and the dvd player to run on a combination of magic and batteries. Hopefully it would last the length of the film.

She heard footsteps, and turned to see Lucius walking towards the tent. He spotted her, and for a moment she thought his eyes got a bit wider.

"Ah, there you are Miss Granger. I hope everything is in order so far. I would like to take a moment and run through how I have everything set."

It must have been her imagination. He was acting perfectly normal. Well, the way he had been acting lately, anyways.

"Guests will arrive and make their way towards the tent area. The first half hour or so can be spent in conversation, having drinks et cetera. I will have the elves send out the wine and a few hors d'oeuvres."

She tried not to cringe when he mentioned the elves. SPEW had gone basically nowhere, and she had tried her hardest to stop bringing it up. It only ever ended in embarrassment.

"As the host, I will welcome everyone, then I can call you up to say a few words about films and what they are. We watch, then continue with the merriment."

"That sounds wonderful. What else needs to be done?" She was getting a bit nervous. The event would have been fun, except none of her friends had been on their invite list. Hopefully it all went well enough for her to enjoy herself somewhat.

There were more footsteps, and she was unsure who it could be. Was Malfoy not living alone?

"We have the chairs father. Where would you like me to put them?"

Oh. That's who it was.

"Miss Granger, you remember my son Draco?" She nodded. How could she forget?

"And this is his girlfriend Astoria. They've just returned home for a visit and decided to come witness our first event." He seemed pleased. Even if everyone at the event hated him, he at least had his son to back him up. The girl seemed fine enough. Hermione recognized her from Hogwarts, and she never seemed like Draco's type.

"Hermione Granger; very pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well! Draco never mentioned that the two of you were acquainted, although I should have assumed since you were in the same year at school. So you work in the new Muggle Relations department? It must keep you rather busy." She was the first pureblood Hermione had met that didn't flinch a little when talking about muggles. She definitely didn't seem like Draco's type.

They continued chatting while the men set up the chairs. From the girl's stories about their travels it seemed like Draco was a completely different person. He had a respectable job, and barely spoke of his life before the war. Perhaps people like the Malfoys really could change.

She glanced at her watch. Guests would be arriving in 10 minutes. High-strung Hermione came back suddenly, panicking that everything would go wrong.

* * *

Lucius thought about the Granger girl as he lined the chairs up with his wand. He had to admit her looks had been a big factor in deciding to choose her for his plan. She was a very attractive young woman. He couldn't stand her, but she was easy on the eyes. He almost gasped when he saw her the first time that evening. It was the only time she wasn't wearing her matronly work clothes, or those abominable things she wore that day in her flat. He thought of how great she would have looked going to all the pureblood balls of old, on some stuffy rich man's arm, in deep discussion of magical theory. He could not picture her sitting and gossiping with the other women.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he realized Draco had been speaking to him.

"…so I was thinking of asking her to marry me this evening, when the film is done."

_Wait, what?_

"Well? I already spoke to her family about it, but I wanted the ring from our family heirlooms. I may not keep many ties to our traditions these days, but I must admit it is a beautiful piece."

He wanted the ring to give his girlfriend tonight? Wasn't this moving rather fast? He expressed this concern.

"A bit I suppose, but we have built this new life together, and I honestly can't see myself anywhere else. Isn't that what love is about?"

Lucius' mood turned suddenly foul.

"Why would you ask me that? If you have forgotten, my marriage was arranged. You may have the ring, as no one else will be laying claim to it. Go get it now before anyone arrives."

He didn't know why he was suddenly so angry, and directing it at his son. He should be truly happy that the boy found someone who tolerated him.

It was just the way Draco seemed to flaunt it, the way he made no effort and yet it came so easily. Lucius always got what he wanted, but it was never by accident or anything others might attribute to fate. It was through hard work and often quite a bit of deception.

The Malfoy name had always been about honor, loyalty and tradition. This was the first time in centuries the Malfoy ring was given to a woman who had not been arranged to marry the man.

Draco came back looking rather smug, just as the guests began to arrive. Lucius put on his performance face and began courteously welcoming them all to his property. Many of them were Ministry folk in high-end positions, and he could see Miss Granger making her rounds. Everyone seemed eager to speak with her. She was the war heroine, known for being incredibly bright and ambitious. Perhaps this was the first event she had been to without her two cronies in tow.

He was having less luck in conversation. Those he had at least been in contact with before the war tried to avoid him. Some eyed him suspiciously, while others came only to make polite conversation before rushing away. They would all be gauging his behavior, so he needed to make sure he was believably on the right track. Like Miss Granger, he needed to get in their good books if he wanted to get anywhere.

He kept to the perimeter, making sure all was going smoothly, and keeping an eye on conversation. He caught Draco discussing business with one of the people from Gringotts. Many people seemed to be interested in his work. The boy was an honest success, which was certainly a marvel to the rest of the wizarding community.

It was time to get things started. He made his way to the front end of the tent and cleared his throat. It went dead silent.

"Welcome. I am pleased to be here this evening as a part of such an interesting and educational event. I hope you all enjoy yourselves, but before we begin I would like to call up the woman in charge of this entire project to explain what we are all doing here tonight." He tried to say it without sarcasm. Hopefully it came off sincere. The crowd looked as wary of him as ever so he supposed it must have.

Granger smiled as she walked up to the stage. He could tell she was nervous, but the excitement of the crowd must have been feeding her confidence.

"Good evening everyone! I would like to thank you all for agreeing to be here for our first event. This is a very important step to truly connecting with the muggle world, while getting to experience something I hope you will all enjoy. I would also like to extend thanks to Mr. Malfoy for letting us use his property."

He nodded, as if it was nothing at all. It really wasn't anyways.

"What you are about to witness is probably the single greatest form of muggle entertainment. It is called a film, and it tells a story. They are almost like books, but instead of reading, you can experience it through sight and sound. They are created and recorded, which takes quite a bit of work, then people can watch them. Each time you watch the film it is the same. They can tell true stories or fictional ones, and sometimes a mixture of both. Tonight we are going to watch an older film called Casablanca. Keep in mind that muggles do not necessarily act and dress this way anymore. Some of it may be confusing, but I think you will find the story enjoyable regardless. Please leave any questions for me until it is done. Let's start the show!"

He dimmed the lights, and she fiddled with her contraption as people took their seats. As the movie began, he moved to the back of the room and sat beside Draco. At least this time he had someone else to discuss with afterwards.

The film started, and he could already see quite a difference between it and The Godfather. There was still struggle, but it was taking place during real war. Lucius found himself drawn into the story again, and could tell the rest of the audience was as well. There were gasps and sighs all around him, but he was absorbed in his own thoughts as it progressed.

The intrigue this time was fueled by anger and a pang he almost called regret. He was not sure who he identified with in this film. The other had been such a stark picture of his life, but this seemed to portray everything he was not. Perhaps it was why Miss Granger chose to show it. These people should be identifying with a hero like this man.

This Rick fellow had what he wanted at his fingertips, and yet he gave it all away. He had a chance at love, what the foolish seemed to be able to die for, and yet he sacrificed it for the sake of another. It was the sickening kind of tale these people would eat up. He could see it in their eyes, welling up with tears.

A love story about loss seemed to set the stage perfectly for the other event that was making Lucius inexplicably irate: his son's proposal. The audience was emotionally charged as the movie ended. Lucius wanted to gag when he heard sobs. The entire thing gave him an unpleasant feeling, like an unexplainable knot in his chest. It tightened as he watched Draco move to the front of the room.

* * *

Hermione was incredibly pleased with the film's reception. Everyone seemed to be absorbed in the story. They needed a few minutes to understand the format, but it didn't take long for them to be yelling at the characters, gasping and crying. As it ended there was a loud applause, although she could tell they had been disappointed in the less than happy ending.

It was a reminder that not all choices are selfish. In the years rebuilding their society after war, a love story about making a noble choice during hard times seemed to hit home. The crowd was buzzing.

She was about to get up and make her closing remarks when she saw Draco head to the front of the room. She looked back at Lucius, but he seemed to be fixed straight ahead, glaring at his son. That was a bit uncharacteristic of him.

"After such a wonderful example of what we can learn from other people, such as muggles, it seems a fitting time for me to give a little speech I prepared. Many of you know I did not have a conventional childhood, nor was my track record very good. I have not only been lucky enough to get the opportunity to straighten my life out, but I found someone who has been there to share in my new adventure. Astoria, will you do me the honor of continuing this crazy new journey as my wife?"

Everything else happened in a blur. She screamed and ran to him, an obvious yes. Everyone else was cheering and crying, rushing to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

Everyone… except for the father. He stood, still scowling, in the shadows, visible to none but Hermione.

None of the other guests seemed to miss their host, or question why he was not up making a toast to his son and bride to be. Perhaps they forgot who his father was, the young man shedding any similarities with how they perceived the Malfoys.

He would give a toast, of course, once his desire to leave was overcome by his need to uphold his appearance. Not knowing he was being watched, he solemnly took in the scene for a moment before reentering his façade, and taking back his place in the centre of the crowd.

It was curious, but knowing him she would never get a real explanation for his odd behavior. Perhaps there were true emotions inside Malfoys after all. The beaming Draco seemed to prove that.

It was something she needed to investigate some other time. For now, she had a party to enjoy.

**A/N This took me a while, but I wanted it done in one chapter. I'll admit I picked Casablanca because it just popped into my head. I haven't seen it in years, so hopefully I still made it work within the story. I never intended to make Draco's life such a big part of the plot, but it ended up being a useful tool to get things in motion. I'll have more soon :)**


	12. Chapter 12

The festivities lasted several hours after the film ended. Hermoine was bombarded with questions and opinions, but everyone made sure to tell her how much they loved it. One of the writers from the Daily Prophet had attended and assured her he would write a raving review of her new initiative.

Everyone hoped to be invited to other events in the future. It was likely they would be the topic of conversation for weeks.

Music was playing, people were talking, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. It was only when the crowd started thinning she began to notice how awkward her surroundings were. She was the popular hostess, but this certainly was not her home. As the guests continued to leave, stopping to congratulate Draco and Astoria one last time, she realized she had not spoken to Lucius all evening.

She walked up to him, intent on congratulating him on their success, but he seemed rather standoffish.

"I have packed up your equipment, Miss Granger. I shall owl you later on this week to continue with the project. I hope your evening was pleasant."

She went to reply, but he turned and stalked away.

_Odd. The engagement can't really be that off-putting to him. She is a pureblood witch after all. _

She decided not to stick her head in something that really wasn't her business. She'd had enough drama to last a lifetime anyways. Schoolgirl drama, but it was enough when you piled the tensions of war on top of it.

With her box of equipment under her arm, she apparated back to her little flat and barely managed to change her clothes before sinking into a stress-free and very satisfied slumber.

It was only two days before the letter arrived. She expected a note to come that week at work, but Monday morning a rather pretentious-looking bird sat tapping on her window.

She retrieved the letter and sat staring at the address for a few moments. She would never quite get used to how flawless his penmanship was. It irritated and fascinated her at the same time.

It seemed odd that he wanted to start working so soon. His son was in town, so it wasn't like he would be bored and alone like he usually was. She pealed back the wax seal (he _would _seal all his letters) and unfolded the note.

_Miss Granger,_

_I am writing to inquire about your availability tomorrow evening, and to request your presence for dinner. As is custom, I intend to take my son and his new fiancée out in celebration of their engagement. However, I feel Miss Greengrass may be less than comfortable without another woman to talk to, and I noticed how well the two of you got along. It would be greatly appreciated, for her sake, as I seem to intimidate the girl. Kindly reply immediately._

_L.M._

Mouth wide open, Hermoine reread the letter several times.

She was not quite sure what to make of it on several levels. Firstly, the entire idea of him inviting her out to dinner with his son and future daughter-in-law seemed very intimate, despite the logical reasons given. Dinner with the two Malfoy men was likely uncomfortable for anyone, especially someone as normal as Astoria.

Secondly, he seemed to hint no real desire in having this dinner at all. She would think that his proud nature would swell with the notion of showing off his son's good fortune.

Thirdly, the entire thing came off rather desperate, as if he was begging her to attend rather than using intimidation and force. It was a tactic she was unfamiliar with when it came to him and his games. It made her feel like he was genuinely distressed, and that made her uneasy.

After thinking about it until she was almost late for work, Hermione finally decided she needed to go. Certainly not for Lucius' sake, but for poor Astoria's. He was right that they got along rather well the other night. When she arrived in her office she penned him a quick reply, and began wondering why she was the one to get caught up in all this nonsense.

* * *

Lucius sat in his study, tapping his fingers on the desk impatiently. What part of immediately did the girl not understand? It was so like a woman to take forever.

His reasons for inviting the girl in the first place had been a bit dubious. It was selfish, he admitted, but what did he ever do that wasn't? While what he said was not exactly a lie, it was not as desperate a situation as he made it seem.

True, he had no desire to go to dinner alone with Draco and Astoria. It was also true that Astoria did not want to sit and make idle chit chat with him in an effort to please Draco. They had nothing much to talk about. However, the idea of sitting across the table from two love sick puppies made him extremely nauseated, and to prevent his untimely death from their sickening company, he needed a buffer.

It just happened that a certain Miss Hermione Granger was one of the few people willing to be seen with him in public, if only for the sake of her career. She was also the only woman who would willingly take his owls, and whom he could contact without the Ministry becoming suspicious.

It was an excellent situation in which to slide an innocent seeming dinner invitation. She had to agree.

Finally her owl came, although it was a bit less than polite.

_ Mr. Malfoy,_

_I will gladly attend for the sake of dear Astoria. I cannot be held responsible for her sanity after an evening alone with the two of you. Please respond with the time and place when available._

_Hermione_

Such attitude, even when he had been so polite. Ah well, she would certainly get what she deserved on Wednesday morning.

She could not expect to go out with Lucius Malfoy and London's hottest new couple without the press having a field day. He smirked as he imagined the headlines.

Rumours would certainly spread, and from them he would weave his webs.

**A/N here's a short one to lay the groundwork for the real meaty plot-line. Finally the plan gets put into action. More to come soon :)**


	13. Chapter 13

As the day progressed, Hermione began to regret agreeing to go to dinner. Lucius had returned her owl, informing her that he would personally pick her up at 6:30, and to make sure she wore something appropriate.

Typical of him to be concerned about what she wore. She was doing him a big favor; at least he could seem a bit more appreciative.

The fact that he insisted on escorting her made her think they were going to some very exclusive restaurant. Most of the ones in wizarding London were places she could get to on her own. She did not like being in those stuffy rich people places. They were full of conceited socialites not unlike the Malfoys, who rarely spoke to her or even noticed she was there. Arriving with a group of them would surely prove awkward.

That evening she went over to see Harry and Ginny, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them about the dinner. She'd recounted the entire event, including the proposal, but somehow she thought it best to keep her stupid mistake a secret for now.

The next day went by far too quickly, and she found herself at home getting ready for the impending dinner.

She pulled on a skirt and a dressier blouse, trying her best to tame her mess of hair. It really wasn't worth the effort, so she decided they would just have to deal with it. She grabbed a well-read book from her table and sat down to read while she waited, to prevent pacing.

Honestly, she was nervous. Even with her friends and family, Hermione rarely went out for dinner. Someone was always cooking a comfortable and relaxed home meal. Especially with the Weasleys, who probably had better food than the most expensive restaurants anyways.

There was his distinctive rap at the door, and she nearly jumped straight out of her seat. She grabbed her bag and coat and yelled that she would be right there.

Stepping into the hall, she took one look at the man in front of her and felt a chill go up her spine. Whereas he always looked business formal when coming to work on the project, tonight he was the same Lucius Malfoy that invoked terror in the hearts of many, walking stick in hand.

She thought herself better than him in general, but at that moment Hermoine felt very small next to him. When he was going all out to impress, he struck a very commanding and intimidating figure.

"Miss Granger, let us be on our way then." He held out his arm for her to take, as they were apparating.

She hesitated slightly, not exactly comfortable with the entire situation, but she didn't want him to notice she was anything but confident.

_He could be taking me somewhere to kill me, for all I know._

The thought crossed her head just as she reached for his arm. This was a man who, a few years ago, actually did try to kill her, and now she was willingly letting him lead her off to who knows where.

She shouldn't have trusted him at all, but for some reason she knew his intent was not to harm her. Nevertheless, as they disappeared she held tightly onto the wand in her sleeve.

* * *

Just before Lucius had gone to retrieve the Granger girl, he sat in his office reviewing his goals and their progression thus far.

Since that first day he walked into Miss Granger's office, he knew exactly what he was going to do to get back into everyone's good graces.

The first step was lowering her walls a bit, and he had accomplished that with ease. While he could not say they were friends (he did not have friends), she certainly did not act as if she constantly wanted to murder him. He even found himself wanting to murder her less and less. It all hinged on the success of their first event. If it had failed, she likely would have put the blame on him. It's booming success would ensure an easier time going forward.

The next step was to somehow create some media attention, putting them in the spotlight. The event had also taken care of that, although their work was slightly overshadowed by his suddenly popular son.

Finally, and this was what he expected to be the trickiest part of the plan, he needed the media to believe they were an item.

As most situations seemed to turn out for him, a solution had appeared out of nowhere. Their dinner tonight would certainly start the rumours flowing, and Lucius could sit back and watch public interest in him rise. If Hermione Granger was willing to be seen with Lucius Malfoy in public, he must certainly be a changed man. It might take a bit more effort afterwards, but he was certain that once the public applauded Miss Granger and the Ministry for the success of their reformation attempts, he would be free to control society as he was accustomed to. He smirked to himself, silently applauding his own brilliance.

He ensured he was dressed in his most striking and impressive ensemble. He had a reputation to regain, and a large part of that involved fear and respect.

Arriving at her door, he again thought of what unseemly living conditions these were for a witch of such high regard. She appeared in the hall, and he silently appraised her. While she certainly did not look bad, she could use quite a few pointers on the proper way to dress.

Her slender arm apprehensively slid through his, silently affirming that she was ready to leave. It had been some time since he needed to use side along apparition. It felt odd pulling another body with him through space, and it was even more odd having to hold her up when they landed. Miss Granger certainly was not the graceful sort.

As he suspected, the streets were crowded. Draco and Astoria were waiting for them on the steps, and heads turned as the foursome made their way into the establishment. He could hear their names bouncing off people's tongues in hushed whispers. It would not take long for the news to travel.

Granger behaved very politely through dinner, engaging in lengthy discussion with Astoria, and even with Draco. She hardly turned towards him the entire evening, but he honestly did not care. He discussed politics and the state of wizard communities in Europe with his son, and politely asked Astoria about her family and her job, but for the most part he stayed silent. Constant banter was not something he found enjoyable.

As the women slipped into wedding discussions, Lucius asked his son where they intended to have the wedding. They still were not sure, although it was family tradition to use the Manor grounds. Draco was unsure if the guests would be comfortable with it. Lucius assured him that it would not be long before everyone was willing to return to Malfoy Manor.

It had been a decent evening overall, better than Lucius anticipated. As they were leaving, Lucius noticed the packed and noisy streets become hushed for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man hiding around the corner with a camera in his hand. He turned his head and smiled slightly, knowing what he could expect in the morning.

* * *

"Hermione Jean Granger! What exactly is the meaning of this?"

Hermione woke from what had been a very peaceful sleep with a start. She had actually enjoyed her evening, and managed to avoid any real socialization with Malfoy Sr. In fact, the older man seemed to be on his best behavior, and barely said anything at all. Her memory of the evening could have him completely cut out, and be reflected on as a pleasant dinner with new friends.

That was until she heard a certain redhead arrive in her living room at 7 am.

"What are you doing here Ginny? It is way too early for whatever this is about." She grumbled as she crawled out of bed.

"Oh I don't think it is. I cannot believe you didn't tell me, even when I was joking about it before We tell each other everything! And aside from that, are you BLOODY NUTS?! I know I said get back out there, but this wasn't what I had in mind."

The younger girl finished her rant just as she arrived in the bedroom. She was holding a popular wizarding gossip magazine in her hand and waving it about, but on the cover Hermione distinctly saw a familiar looking bushy head.

_Oh shit. _

She read the column, which really didn't fabricate much, but it certainly would have some serious consequences. From an outsiders perspective the evening did seem like a double date. With them having to work so closely on the project, it would be very difficult to dispel the rumours.

It took her quite a bit of explaining to finally convince Ginny she wasn't secretly dating Lucius Malfoy. Even when the girl believed her, she seemed rather disappointed.

"You have to admit, he's quite attractive. Here I thought you had finally shelved your old spinster goals."

"He is horrible, and I thought you said I was nuts?"

"Well I was angry, wasn't I? My best friend had a secret older lover and didn't even tell me."

"I promise you that the day I find a secret lover, or a man of any sorts, you'll be the first to know. But for now, I need to go to work and sort out what will probably be a weeks worth of media fiascos."

She wasn't wrong. All morning people were walking by and giving her knowing glances, or would stop talking the second she came around a corner. It felt like being back at school, where something was always being spread around about them.

Despite her best efforts to prove otherwise, everyone seemed to believe what they had read, and her denial was their proof that she was just ashamed her secret got out so soon.

He showed up in her office that afternoon, making heads turn and causing more whispers.

If any of her efforts had worked, him coming by for a visit just reversed them all. She had a mind to hex him into next week, and she told him so.

He sat very calmly across from her, which only fed her rage. This was terrible slander for both their reputations, yet he seemed quite fine with the situation. How could a person act like nothing phased them?

"I would appreciate it if you refrained from doing so Miss Granger. You see, despite the amusingly unbelievable rumors that have been spreading, we still have quite a bit of work to do. We are business partners after all."

He smirked as he said the word unbelievable. What a complete prick, insinuating that it was laughable for him to be seeing someone like her.

He most certainly wasn't politely acting as if he was out of her league. It was news to no one that he was so self-absorbed he assumed all women fainted when he walked by.

How dare he stroll into her office and insult her like that? She was most certainly good enough for the likes of him. In fact, she was much too good.

"I can assure you that we are not business partners, or partners of any kind, Mr. Malfoy. You are the one assisting me, and it would do you well to remember it."

She stood up and decided the rest of her work could be finished at home.

"When I no longer feel like smashing your arrogant face in, I will owl you to inform you of our next step in the project. Enjoy your day." With that, she stormed out and left him sitting in her office.

She hoped Ginny was free that evening, because she needed a drink.

**A/N - And all the motives finally come out. Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers and readers! I haven't replied in a while but one of these days I will sit down and do it. More to come soon (but probably not as fast as this one). **


	14. Chapter 14

"…and I may have been able to handle it, but then he showed up and I just flipped out. I needed to get out of there. Hopefully by tomorrow things will have quieted down." She leaned back in her seat.

The two girls had walked down the block from Hermione's flat to their favorite muggle bar. It was quiet when you wanted it to be quiet, but they also knew how to throw a good party. Now they were seated at a corner table and able to discuss her problems before the band started.

"It will die down, I promise. Something else is bound to come up."

"Yeah, I hope. Hey what did Harry say when he read it?" She was surprised she hadn't heard what her best male friend had to say.

"Oh he was certain it was rubbish right away. He said there was no reason why anyone could stand to be in a relationship with him, especially you. Of course, he is a man, so he can't understand how good-looking Malfoy actually is. I mean, have you seen that bone structure? It is just unfair!"

Hermione shook her head as the other woman went on a tirade about families that had money and looks. She was more in agreement with Harry. The friendly relationship her and Malfoy had almost built was quickly replaced by awkward embarrassment on her part.

She was also angry, despite none of it really being his fault. He was as much the victim as she, but his cool response irritated her. Of course, he was starting from the bottom rung where reputations were concerned. Hermione had a less tarnished image to protect.

She appreciated Ginny's understanding of the situation, and began to appreciate her more as the night wore on. They danced for hours, staying out until it was nearly morning.

They would both regret it when waking up for work, but at the time it was just what Hermione's stress-addled brain needed. By the time they ambled back down the street and she crawled into bed, her alleged relationship with a certain Malfoy was completely pushed from her mind.

That morning, Hermione woke with a groan. She turned to her clock and noticed she was going to be late. She threw her clothes on and barely bothered with her hair, not even stopping to see how she looked.

As fast as she had gone, she was still going to be a few minutes late. It would not have mattered much, but she had never been late before. It was a bad time to start bad habits. She tried her hardest not to draw attention as she hurried to her office.

That wasn't going so well. All eyes were on her, and they were giving her disapproving glares, as if they suspected the reason for her lateness was a tall blonde man.

_I suppose they haven't forgotten already. Wishful thinking._

The door clicked open, but the light was already on.

_Did I leave it on all night?_

"AGGHpph" She tried to muffle her scream, but she heard a low chuckle as she jumped.

"Malfoy, what they hell are you doing in my office? Better yet, how did you get in?"

"Tut tut Miss Granger, you seem to underestimate my abilities to get into a locked room. This one really was not the least bit difficult. I hope you haven't been hiding any incriminating secrets in this desk." He tapped his hand along the edge of it.

She stood awkwardly, fuming not so silently. He broke into her office, and was sitting in her chair.

"I will ask again. What are you doing here?"

"Ah yes, well I thought that rather obvious. We do have some work to do, you see. The public is raving about our little function, hoping we are throwing another soon. Cannot keep the people waiting, can we Miss Granger? Leave them without any entertainment, and they begin to talk." He smirked, ever so slightly.

She began to feel the tingling of complete and utter rage returning. It was worse than before, in her flat. However, this was her office, and she could not be running her mouth, screaming the many impolite thoughts she had for Lucius Malfoy.

"I told you to leave, and that I would contact you when there was more work to be done. I believe I had made myself very clear Mr. Malfoy. Now if you don't mind, I am a busy woman and I am not in the mood for your games today."

"Hmm, yes I can see that. Looking a bit wild today, aren't we? A late night perhaps? My, wouldn't that make news. Barely a few days and the great Hermione Granger is off with yet another man." He made a disapproving tut, but his smirk did not move from his lips.

"You have no business inquiring into my personal life. Get out."

"Hmm, touched a nerve Granger? Was your lovely outing with me all the attention you have been getting? Apparently so, since it was newsworthy. Well, since you seem to be so free, perhaps we can meet later on this week to…discuss business. I shall owl you the time. Enjoy your day Miss Granger."

With that, he got up from her chair and walked out, without another glance. As he opened the door, all the other workers stopped and gawked.

_Great_ she groaned inwardly. _Now he has something over me, and the entire floor thinks he was making a social call._

She did not like where this was all going. The scandal was making her look bad, yet his evil seemed to be feeding off it. Any friendly relationship they had was now out the window, and Hermione had to put her game face back on.

It was a shame really. If only there was a way to prove the rumors were false once and for all.

Then she had an idea. It was quite crafty of her, actually. It wouldn't even be that difficult to pull off.

* * *

"So tell me, father, exactly how you managed to pull it off?" His son burst into the study hurling strange accusations. Lucius looked up from his paper and gave the boy a quizzical look.

"What are you going on about now, Draco? I am certainly not pulling anything off. I am sitting and reading a paper, as men often do in the mornings."

Draco stood still, arms crossed. Lucius ignored him for a few minutes but it became rather hard to focus.

"You know what I mean. Look right there. It is the news about our dinner the other night, and how you and Granger are suddenly the hottest new couple in the country. You would never allow such a thing to see the light of day…unless it served some twisted purpose of yours. So what is it that you needed so badly to overshadow my engagement?"

Lucius pretended to look shocked.

"Why Draco, I was simply taking your advice! As colleagues we get along somewhat, so I invited out to our dinner. The rest of society seems to think there is a spark... that perhaps she is bringing me out of the darkness. Who am I to oppose such a notion? It would look like I was openly stating our project was not working. I cannot go against my own cause."

A knowing smirk crossed his son's face. He knew it was fruitless to try to fool the boy. He was of his flesh and blood, after all.

"How convenient for you father, to be put in a better light by associating with Hermione Granger. Perhaps the story of love against all odds will melt the hearts of wizarding Britain, where you are concerned." He sneered. "Just know this. Do not think you can pull the wool over her eyes. When it comes to Granger, you have no idea what you are dealing with. She will figure you out, and there will be hell to pay."

A small niggling of doubt made its way to Lucius' mind. He could overpower some of the greatest wizards when it came to cunning, but the girl was certainly bright. He needed to tread very carefully if he wanted this to work.

"Tell me about her, Draco. Tell me everything you know."

**A/N sorry to say this may be the last update for about a month. I'm getting married in 2 weeks so things are just a bit hectic. I shall try to write whenever I have a minute, since the story is getting exciting :) much love to everyone who read reviewed and added the story to favourites or alerts. You are the best. **


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